Yusef Lateef's 'Water Pistol' from his 1961 album 'Into Something' with Herman Wright & Elvin Jones:
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Tony Coe trio from the soundtrack music to the French film "Camomile"...the track "Tengellen". Beautiful tenor. BN
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Looking at Tony's film music biog and found this! Hilarious!
"Jazzman Tony is barred for drinking
One of the world’s most distinguished jazz musicians, Tony Coe was asked to leave a five-star London hotel after a row over an interval drink during a jazz brunch in which he was the star performer :Express Tue, Oct 9, 2007
However this was also after he called a member of staff a “fascist”. Coe, who was Humphrey Lyttelton’s clarinettist, had been asked by a waiter at the Landmark Hotel what he would like to drink during the interval.
“I asked for a white wine but was told that was not possible,” says Coe, “so I wandered downstairs to the bar and bought my own. Then I was confronted by an officious member of the hotel staff saying ‘my musicians’ are not allowed to drink alcohol. I pointed out to her that it was the interval – not the performance. But she insisted that either I stopped drinking the wine or I would have to leave.
“She seemed to have a strong German accent – I discovered later she was Dutch – and I accused her of being a fascist. She objected to this, so I called her authoritarian. Either way, I wanted to finish my drink. At this point she asked me to leave.” Desiree Dils, the Landmark’s Dutch-born food and beverage manager involved in the row with Coe, did not wish to comment. But Sally Beck, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing, says: “Musicians who perform at the hotel have to observe the same rules that apply to the regular staff, who are not allowed to drink on duty.”
Try THAT on Ben Webster!
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Alto saxophonist Marion Brown's Septet playing 'Iditus' with Alan Shorter, Benny Maupin, Grachan Moncur III, Dave Burrell, Reggie Johnson & Beaver Harris from the ultra-rare 1966 album 'Juba-Lee'(FONTANA):
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‘Cool Blues’
Jimmy Smith with Lou Donaldson, Tina Brooks, Eddie McFadden, Donald Bailey & Art Blakey
Blue Note (1958)Comment
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I thought this is a fascinating article despite the rather daft title. It not only shines lights on a trumpet player who is seemingly forgotten these days but also asks some good questions about why some musicians have very similar paths / dependency lifestyles yet fans can lionise one player whilst ignoring another. It is quite fascinating to consider the reputations of these two musicians in a comparison like this and it is not an uncommon scenario in jazz where mythology can cement a reputation that maybe makes a more objective assessment less likely. The reference to the perceptions of other musicians regarding their respective abilities is also insightful.
I am familiar with Jack Sheldon and think he is on some of the excellent Curtis Counce records. He also played for a while with Benny Goodman but, regardless of this, his profile is pretty low these days. It is a fascinating read and also says a lot about fans somewhat having their opinions made for them regarding particular musicians as opposed to coming to a more considered appraisal themselves. Although one of my last purchases was a Chet Baker record (playing Jimmy Heath tunes), I would have to say that I think he is seriously overrated and tend to concur with the conclusions of this article which is suggestive that Sheldon was more than his match. In a blindfold test, I wonder how many fans would probably prefer the less fashionable Sheldon over Baker. Strange that Sheldon should be so over-looked.Last edited by Ian Thumwood; 25-04-19, 06:06.Comment
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Prompted by Ian's post here's Jack Sheldon with Art Pepper in Hollywood, 1980:Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View PostI thought this is a fascinating article despite the rather daft title. It not only shines lights on a trumpet player who is seemingly forgotten these days but also asks some good questions about why some musicians have very similar paths / dependency lifestyles yet fans can lionise one player whilst ignoring another. It is quite fascinating to consider the reputations of these two musicians in a comparison like this and it is not an uncommon scenario in jazz where mythology can cement a reputation that maybe makes a more objective assessment less likely. The reference to the perceptions of other musicians regarding their respective abilities is also insightful.
I am familiar with Jack Sheldon and think he is on some of the excellent Curtis Counce records. He also played for a while with Benny Goodman but, regardless of this, his profile is pretty low these days. It is a fascinating read and also says a lot about fans somewhat having their opinions made for them regarding particular musicians as opposed to coming to a more considered appraisal themselves. Although one of my last purchases was a Chet Baker record (playing Jimmy Heath tunes), I would have to say that I think he is seriously overrated and tend to concur with the conclusions of this article which is suggestive that Sheldon was more than his match. In a blindfold test, I wonder how many fans would probably prefer the less fashionable Sheldon over Baker. Strange that Sheldon should be so over-looked.
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‘Now's The Time’
Sonny Rollins with Herbie Hancock, Thad Jones, Ron Carte, Rob Cranshaw & Roy McCurdy
RCA Victor (1964)Comment
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I was familiar with these sessions but have never heard anything from them. Anything with Art Pepper on in this period is good. I just think he was the preeminent alto player from that West Coast school but his return in the 1970s saw him eclipse his earlier work, as good as this was. Sheldon is superb on this track too. He does remind me a bit of ChetOriginally posted by Jazzrook View PostPrompted by Ian's post here's Jack Sheldon with Art Pepper in Hollywood, 1980:
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but there is more bite in his playing.
The article is interesting in contrasting Sheldon and Baker and is demonstrative that sometimes jazz musicians get reputations that are cemented for non-musical reasons and their proximity towards the tortured soul stereotype. Posting the link to Pepper makes me think that you could play the same trick between him and someone like Paul Desmond and come to a different conclusion. Desmond lived a sober life and I have always felt that his music reflected this. Play Desmond and Pepper side by side and you would always plump for Pepper as being more compelling every time so that the cliché would be an accurate assessment of the respective musicians' standing.
There does seem to be a preponderance of "under-rated" saxophonists with trumpeters not being quite so numerous in this respect. It is strange that Sheldon is not regarded more highly. He wasn't a game changer yet his records seem pretty consistent from what little I have heard.
If anyone is feeling flush there is an excellent 10-CD box set of Paul Bley's work for Black Saint / Soul Note which is going on line for £29. For my money, Bley remains the most undervalued jazz musicians amongst fans. Like Kenny Dorham, Bley's work is so strong that once discovered, most people will become advocates for his playing. Technically, Herbie Hancock will always be the No. 1 jazz pianist for me yet Paul Bley remains the consummate improvisor. Again, there are comparisons with Bill Evans who emerged at the same time. These become increasingly tenuous the more you familiarise yourself with Bley's music and you might argue that Evans represented the culmination of what happened in jazz piano in the 1950s whilst Paul Bley represented an alternative as to where jazz piano might go in the next decade. Maybe the lack of a "hard swinging" approach will put some fans off his work yet there is a real depth in his improvising and a willingness to explore which makes him one of the most compelling jazz musicians I am aware of. I find that Keith Jarrett has an ability to get in to "the zone " which is exciting, especially with the trio. I don't think that Bley ever really swung like Jarrett (who can swing very much in a traditional sense) but I have always felt that Bley always got to the hub of the question within his improvisations and remained more focussed in this respect than nearly every jazz musician I am aware of. Whereas Jarrett sometimes goes on a rambling journey before he hits his stride, Bley is usually there from the off. He never seemed to waste many notes. There are not many jazz musicians who are able to draw your in to their music like Paul Bley which is really something if you consider the percussive nature of the piano. The piano lacks the human voice comparisons with horns. Even when performing a glacial tempi on tracks like "Memories" from the excellent "Fragments" records, there is a sense of drama and anticipation in the way his phrases and treats the beat that I feel still manages to swing. Players like Sheldon should be considered unlucky to be overlooked and underappreciated. With Bley, there is such a broad and high quality of work that you would think that jazz fans will eventually twig how great he was. I would put in him on a par with Rollins, Coltrane, Bird and Konitz as an improvisor.Comment
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Have to say I am in agreement with you about Paul Bley, Ian. I must try & dig out the early 1970s stuff he did with Annette Peacock, when he was performing on synthesiser and electric piano and she experimenting with voice modification through ring modulators and other electronic devices, before she took off in an art rock direction and then came over here. I'll check & see if any of that is on youtube tomorrow, if I've got time.Comment
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‘Know What I Mean?’
Cannonball Adderley with Bill Evans, Percy Heath & Connie Kay
Riverside (1960)Comment
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The Bley-Peacock Synthesiser Show toured Europe, including this country, in 1971, and made (at least) two LP recordings. The link below is to the first of them, "Improvisie"; the Dutch drummer Han Bennink made up what was a trio. Not sure how this stands up to criticism today, or whether it really belongs on the Jazz Board, though it is certainly not "un-idiomatic", and was in many ways in advance of its time, especially as regards electronic treatments of the voice, though this sort of thing had been going on for a good decade in Fluxus and other denizens of avantgardism and experimentation on both sides of The Pond. Annette claimed that several musicians operating in this area had approached her to say that what she was accomplishing was "impossible" with the technology of the time. See what you think.Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
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I like Annette Peacock with "I have no feeling" being a favourite of mine back in the 1980's. Her approach is pretty original even if she really only works on the fringes of jazz.Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
It is interesting to hear the synthesizer album as it is recognisably Paul Bley. I would have to say that the electronic instruments are being thoroughly explored and it goes well beyond someone just testing the capabilities of gadgets. However, some of the sounds are extremely dated. It probably sounded great in 1971 and pretty ground breaking. With Bley, there is always going to be a strong element of musical intelligence in what is produced as, after all, he is one of jazz's greatest improvisors. However, I would have to say , given his extensive catalogue, how essential a Bley albums is this? There are elements of acoustic piano on this record (the instrument is out of tune, unfortunately) but with someone so prolific it is not difficult to find something superior this this. I think the problem is that he was so prolific and so consistently excellent, it is difficult to state what his best efforts are. This is especially the case insofar that tunes like "ida Lupino" and "Closer" crop up so frequently.
I really like his later work when he was served by better sound engineering. "Fragments" was always a favourite of mine as it featured a quartet with Bill Frisell, John Surman and Paul Motian which is exceptional. Apparently Frisell was intimidated by Bley's reputation but the combination of these four musicians is pretty inspired and they make a very cohesive quartet. At the time he was producing more outside and explorative records for labels like ECM and Owl, he was also producing more straight forward albums for labels like Steeplechase where he tackled standards and bop repertoire.
What I love about his playing is the fact that it can sometimes be quite outside yet it always remains extremely lyrical. His phrasing is exquisite. It sounds almost simple but there is a fantastic technique in there which is never employed for it's own sake. Count Basie's piano playing is often praised for it's economy. I think there is something similar going on with Paul Bley as no single note is wasted. Everything phrase means something.Comment
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Why oh why these endless juvenile wars of X is better than Y, therefore Y is overrated? For God's sake move on. There are no "points", just artistic expression. Jack Sheldon is a very good trumpet player (sometimes actor & comedian). But he held Chet Baker in personal awe and his style came from that, albeit with a spice of Clifford. What I like about Sheldon on the Counce sides is that he would occasionally get lost on the changes. You can hear him doing thing this, trying to resolve a line he'd stretched too far. It's endearing & human in that way. Chet was never endearing, bland sometimes, coasting often, but when he REALLY wanted (or was drug sober) to play at his best, he was brilliant. The late Tokyo concerts, the Milan RCA date with Bobby Jasper, the deeply Paris sober sides after the death of Twadik... something else. REALLY.Comment
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Talking about polls, best 500, best whatever, Why do they (Wiki for example) quote The Rolling Stone Magazine for Jazz Funk Soul Records?
I mean why is it regarded as other than a specialist magazine? Sergeant Pepper and Pet Sounds show it's aimed at a certain demographic. Why is there never a quote saying "XY" was Downbeat record of the year, or Blues and Souls.
What's Going On's inclusions smacks of tokenism to me as there are other "generally regarded as classic" Soul albums that barely get in the list
BTW Do rock fans really rate London's Calling by the Clash so highly ? To me it sounds like a PC, worthy plod compared to their first album and less thrilling/rocky than any Stones LP up until and including Goats Head SoupLast edited by burning dog; 27-04-19, 14:33.Comment
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